Music can be played instantly from any Kindle Fire, Android phone or tablet, iPhone, iPod touch, Samsung TVs, Roku, Sonos, and any web browser

Since no one really uses physical CDs anymore, Amazon has introduced an "AutoRip" feature that gives customers free mp3 versions of their old and new CDs bought from Amazon.

When a customer purchases a CD on Amazon, Amazon AutoRip gives them free mp3 versions of the CD and stores it in their Cloud Player libraries. The music can then be accessed from any Web browser, Kindle Fire, Android smartphone or tablet, iPhone, iPod touch, Samsung TV, Roku or Sonos.

But the new service doesn't just apply to new music releases. AutoRip applies to any CDs labeled with the AutoRip logo that customers have bought since the Amazon music store launched in 1998.

“What would you say if you bought music CDs from a company 15 years ago, and then 15 years later that company licensed the rights from the record companies to give you the MP3 versions of those CDs… and then to top it off, did that for you automatically and for free?” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “Well, starting today, it's available to all of our customers – past, present, and future – at no cost. We love these opportunities to do something unexpected for our customers.”

Amazon is likely looking for a new competitive edge against other retailers. For instance, Target recently announced that match Amazon and certain other competitor's online prices year-round.

Offering mp3s that can accessed from Amazon's Cloud Player is a smart move for the e-tailer, since it now has a line of Kindle Fire tablets and is looking to launch its first smartphone soon. Any of its own mobile products can be tied to the CD/mp3 purchases on Amazon.